This claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-9093, filed on Feb. 20, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly, to a microwave oven incorporating a toaster.
2 Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, microwave ovens such as those illustrated in FIG. 1, heat objects (e.g., food) by applying microwaves to them. Referring to FIG. 1, microwave ovens include a cavity 2, in which an object may be heated by microwaves. The cavity 2 is formed in an interior of a cavity assembly 1 and may be opened and closed via a cavity door 4. Microwaves may be generated by various electrical devices accommodated with an electrical device chamber 10 provided near the cavity 2. The electrical device chamber may be covered with an outer case 6. The various electrical devices may include, for example, a magnetron 12 for generating microwaves, a high-voltage transformer 14 for supplying high voltage to the magnetron 12, and a fan 16 for generating an air flow inside of the cavity 2 thereby cooling the various electrical devices as they may become heated.
While conventional microwave ovens heat objects using microwaves, microwaves cannot be used to toast food (e.g., bread products). Therefore, microwave ovens capable of toasting food as well as heating an object using microwaves have become desirable. In such microwave ovens including a toaster, each food item (e.g., slice of bread, bagel, etc.) must be positioned proximate a heater within the toaster such that the toasting performance is maximized.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a microwave oven with a toaster that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An advantage of the present invention provides a microwave oven incorporating a toaster, wherein food items may be positioned proximate a heater included within the toaster such that the toasting performance may be maximized.
Additional advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. These and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a microwave oven incorporating a toaster includes, for example, a toaster door and a tray assembly. The toaster door may be arranged on a toaster panel for opening and closing at least one toaster entrance. The toaster panel may, for example, be provided on a front side of the toaster.
The toaster assembly may, for example, include a tray support arranged inside the toaster. At least one tray, for holding a food item while it is being heated, may be fastened to the top of the tray support. For example, the tray support may include a plurality of fastening slits while the tray may include at least one elevating bracket for maintaining the tray at a predetermined distance from the tray support. The elevating bracket may include at least one fastening hook extending downward and also along a first direction, parallel to the tray. Accordingly, the tray may be fastened to the tray support by inserting a fastening hook into one of the fastening slits and moving the tray in the first direction.
Additionally, the tray may include a rear flange provided at a rear end of the tray for supporting a back side of the food item on the tray. The tray support may further include a groove formed along a pivot line, about which at least one upwardly bent fixture, for supporting a rear end of the bracket, may be formed.
According to the principles of the present invention, the microwave oven incorporating a toaster further includes a heater for generating heat necessary to toast food items (e.g., slices of bread, bagels, etc.) and at least one connecting link arranged between the toaster door and the tray assembly for moving the tray assembly when the toaster is opened or closed.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.